Snap-switch



C. C. STIRLING.

SNAP SWITCH.

APPLICATION mm MAX. 1, 191:.

EnmnmlJume U), 1919.

In van for A 7 far-neu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE C. STIRLING, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HART &

HEGEMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A. COR-PORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SNAP-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1919.

Original application filed June 22, 1917, Serial No. 176,302. Dividedand this application filed March 7, 1918. Serial'No. 220,915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE C. STIRLING, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention. relates to snap switches, and while' I have several.motives in view, my primary purpose is to provide means of an eflicientcharacter for the elimination of arcing as far as practicable, atthecircuit controlling point or points.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of the presentspecification there is illustrated a structure involving the inventionwhich I will outline in detail in the following description. I am notnecessarily restricted, however, to this particular disclosure; I maydepart therefrom in several respects within the scope of the inventiondefined by the claims following said description.

Referring to said drawin Fl re 1 is a horizonta section of the switc theparts being shown in different positions by full and dotted linesrespectively.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the cap in section, theswitching member being represented in the off and the on positions byfulland dotted lines respectively.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the device, the button, however, beingpartly in elevation-with a portion broken away, and the section beingonthe line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, thesection being on the line 44of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Thepresent case is a division of that filed by me on June 22, 1917,Serial No. 17 6,302. The switch comprises in its organization a basesuch as that denoted in a general way by 2. This may be made of any ofthe insulating materials now in every-day use for the purpose. As shownthe base is virtually circular or in the form of a disk, and it sustainsa cap as 3 usually of sheet metal and of cylindrical form, its top beingclosed.

The cap or case may be held to the base or body 2 by a fit as it isknown, thus obviating the necessity of extraneous fastenings for thispurpose. The switch includes a suitable circuit controlling or switchingmember such as that denoted in a general way by 4, and an actuator forsuch switching member such as that denoted in a general way by 5. Thebase 2 constitutes a proper support for terminals such as 6, generallyof metal and virtually of L form. The horizontal branches of theseterminals are perforated to receive screws 7 extending through openin sin the base 2 and the lower threaded ends 0 which receive nuts as 8 bywhich wires or equivalent conductors are connected I tal and parallelblades or levers 9 of proper conducting material, for instance sheetmetal. These blades or levers are connected as by screws 10 to the bodyportion 11 of the switching member, said body portion being of suitableinsulating material. In view of this circumstance, the blades or levers9 partake of the movement of the body portion. The rear ends of theblades 9 are ractically coincident with the back edge 0 said bodyportion but their forward ends extend beyond the front of said bodyportion to cooperate with contacts as 13. The switching member 4 asshown is pivoted between the terminals 6, and for this purpose screws 12may be utilized, the screws extending through the rear portions of the.blades or levers 9 and being threaded into the insulating body portion11. Said screws present journals to provide for the rocking oroscilation of the knife-blade switching mem- Separated from theterminals 6 are the contacts 13, each consisting as shown of a pair ofL-shaped sheet metal members 14, the bases of which are superimposed andthe upright portions of which are spaced a distance sufiicient toreceive the blades 9 when the switching member 4 is in the on or circuitclosing position as illustrated for instance by dotted lines in Fi 2 andby full lines in Fig. 4. The bases 0% the two pairs of L-shaped members14 are perforated to receive screws 15, the shanks of which extendthrough openings in the base, and the threaded ends of which receivenuts 16. These screws 15 as shown are connected by a wire 17 coiledabout the same, and held thereto by'the nuts 16. When the blades orlevers9 of the switching member 4 are from out of the vertical orupright portions of the contacts 13 as shown by full lines in Fig. 2, itwill be evident that the switching member is in the off position. Tolimit the swinging of the circuit controlling or switching member I, itmay be provided upon its blades with screws 10 constituting suitablestops and whieh'when in the extreme positions will abut against theterminals 6 to arrest the switching member.

The actuating or operating means for the switching member comprises asrepresented a spindle as 19 extending through the bushing 20, the basehaving a hole or perforation to comparatively snugly receive the bushingfurnished at its lower end with an annular flange to engage the underside of the base. The spindle extends freely through the bushing topermit its readily being turned, and as illustrated is furnished at itslower end with a nut 21 to engage the flanged part of the bushing andprevent accidental downward disp'lacen'ient of the bushing. The spindleas illustrated isfurnished with a stop collar :22 fastened thereto as bya screw 23, and whichengages the upper edge of the bushing to preventdisplacement downwardly of the spindle.

The insulating body 11 has an opening 23, the center of which as shownis practically intersected by the axis of motion or center ofoscillation of the switching member 4. This opening freely receives thespindle, and its wall at no time comes in contact with the same. Thespindle 19 also extends through a hole or opening in the top of thecasing or shell 3, and receives a button, knob or operating member as 24which can be secured to the spindle in any convenient manner as by ascrew. The surface of the button is roughened to facilitate its beingturned. Fitting around the upper portion of the spindle 19 is the coiledspring 25, the upper terminal coil of the spring having an extension 26extending into and opening in the hub of the knob to thus connect thetwo parts. The lower terminal coil of the spring has a prolongation 27terminating in a loop 28, overlying the insulating body 11. ()n theturning of the spindle, therefore, the spring will be carried aroundwith the knob 24, causing the prolongation or projection to sweep acrossthe upper surface of the body portion 11 and thus compress the spring25. so that the switching member 4 canbe successively snapped to on andoff positions.

I have described more or less briefly with such a type of switch. Iobviously do not restrict myself in this regard; the invention may beused with other forms of switches.

A snap switch generally involves one or more switching members, usuallymade in the form of levers. and with these I associate one or moreangular insulating planes. These planes are so related with eachother asto present together a fan-like part which is intended to move near toand rapidly by the point or points of contact at the moment of break oropening. The fan-like element deflects the air across the are at themoment of break or opening. The lovers are separated at their contactportions from the fan. so that there will be between them, gaps acrosswhich the air is caused to positively pass in streams to accomplish thedesired object. IVith the foregoing general description I will nowproceed further with the detailed description of the structure.

Between the blades or levers 9 and in front of the body 11 I dispose thefan-like part. or vane 29 of suitable insulating material such asisinglass. This vane consists of two planes which converge aboutcentrally between the blades 9. It abuts practically at its rear againstthe front of the insulating core or body 11. Its frontend, however, isin advance of the two blades. The sides of this vane 29 are cut away orslotted as at 30 for a little more than half the length of the deviceand back from the front end thereof. This cutting away or slotting ofthe vane provides two airways down which air may rush as the switchingmember is moved to circuit opening position so as thus to forcibly blowor direct any arcs sid'ewise or at right angles to the direction of thepath of the arcs, the two streams of air flowing laterally and outwardlyacross the points where the circuit is broken.

lVhat I claim is:

1. An electric switch comprising a swinging switching member, contactmeans engageable by the switching member, and a member of insulatingmaterial rigid on and movable with the switching member and set at anangle thereto, to deflect the air across the are on the opening of theswitch.

2. An electric switch comprising a switching member, contact. meanscooperative with the switching member, and a fan-like part rigid on andmovable with the switchmg member and spaced from the contact portionthereof, to blow away the are, on the opening of the switch.

3. An electric switch comprisinga switching member having approximatelyparallel arms, contact means cooperative with the switching member, andan insulating element rigidly extending between the arms, to blow awaythe are on the opening of the switch.

4. An electric switch comprising a movable switching member and acontact cooperative with the switching member. and a fan-part ofinsulating material rigidly connected and movable with the switchingmember and spaced from the contact cooperatin,g portion thereof to thuspermit the said contact. cooperative portion to freely cooperate withthe contact and at the same time to blow arcs at right angles to the(lispaced from the switching member at that part thereof which coactswith said contact means.

6. An electric switch comprising a swinging switching member, contactmeans engageable by the switching member, and a member of insulatingmaterial movable with the switching member, set at a constant anglethereto and extending forwardly therefrom, the forward portion of saidinsulating member being spaced from that part of the switching memberwhich coacts with-said contact means.

7. An electric switch comprising a swinging switching member havingapproximately parallel arms, contact means cooperative with theswitching member, and a fan-like insulating part rigid on and movablewith the switching member and spaced from the contact portions of thearms thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CLARENCE C. STIRLING.

Witnesses:

L. L. MARKEL, HEATH SUTHERLAND.

